Cheh bill bans minors from using tanning beds in DC

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- D.C. Council Member Mary Cheh introduced a bill on Tuesday that would ban all minors from using tanning beds at commercial tanning salons. The city's law currently only bans people under the age of 14 from using the tanning beds. Children between 14 and 17 can use the beds with their parents' consent.

Cheh says the goal of the legislation is to reduce the negative health effects from tanning beds that people experience later in life from using them at an early age.

In a statement released Tuesday, Cheh said:

"Research, shows that sunlamps and tanning beds emit UVA radiation that can be more than 10 to 15 times more powerful than the sun's rays...Individuals, who first use a tanning bed before age 35, are 75 percent more likely to develop melanoma. Despite the great risk tanning carries for young people, tanning salons actively target minors in their advertising, offering inexpensive packages and highlighting the cosmetic benefits of tanning. And even with efforts to inform minors of these risks, studies have shown that greater knowledge of the dangers of tanning does not change behavior. That is why it is imperative we pass legislation banning this practice - a practice that can prove fatal."